Just a Dream
by Black Butterfly Wings
Summary: Atemu's self confidence shot, he follows Bakura out into the land of Egypt, and learns a valuable lesson. Round five of the competition, Casteshipping.


Note: Yeah yeah yeah, 5th round of this retarded contest I'm in. I highly doubt I'll make it to the next round but my friend refuses to let me drop out! –swears under breath- Anyways…Yeah… Can't remember what this pairing is called, it's thief Bakura and Atem. So…yeah…Whatever… (If it's out of character, guess what! I DON'T CARE!)

Warning: Yaoi, anything else I might throw at you. I never know until I write it, so yeah.

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah you're an idiot if you think I own Yu-Gi-Oh blah blah blah I'm really not in the mood…

Just A Dream:

He shot upright in bed, cold sweat dripping from his face and neck. Panting, he wondered what the hell had caused him to wake up in such a state. Then realization washed over him.

"That dream…" he sighed as he lowered himself back into bed. "Why do I keep having that dream?"

He forced his eyes closed and rolled over onto his side, hoping the dream would not return to him again that night.

After what seemed like hours of trying to fall back to sleep, Atem walked out onto the balcony of his bedroom and stared at the clear night sky. Sighing, he sat with his back against the railing, staring up at the sky above the palace.

As he sunk into his own thoughts, he began voicing them aloud.

"You hate me…You want me dead…"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to bring himself to say it out loud. Perhaps if he could confess it to himself, he could confess it to the other.

"You want me dead and yet I want to feel your arms around me."

There, he said it. He cringed at his own works and slapped himself on the forehead with his palm.

"I'm the worst Pharaoh Egypt's ever seen…"

He sighed miserably and laid on his back, staring at the stars.

"Ra, help me… I don't want to be here. I want to be a rogue and a thief and be next to my enemy… I'm not fit to be a king."

He sighed heavily and rolled over onto his side, staring through the little gaps in the railing at the lights of the village down below. His eyes filled with a longing for freedom.

"I don't want to be here…" he whimpered pathetically as he sat upright.

Standing up, he walked back into his room and through himself down onto his bed and began to plan out his activities for the upcoming day. He knew he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that night.

As he sat bored on his thrown, Atem secretly wished that the King of Thieves would barge into the palace to gloat about his newest raid. Even if it meant another raid of his family's tombs.

Once the last matter of business was conducted for the day, he dashed up to his bedroom to be alone. He sat on the balcony with each leg dangling through a slot in the rail.

Now more than ever he looked like the child king as he kicked his legs back and forth and stared with wide, observant eyes at the activity taking place in the village.

However young he looked, his childish ways were far behind him. The only thoughts that ran through his mind were of the Thief King.

He was corrupted by his charm, yet he was as innocent and naïve as a child. Innocent corruption, what irony.

He was distracted by his thoughts only when screams from the village below met his ears. Sounds of alarms rang throughout the kingdom as the palace guardians took their posts.

Excited, Atem rushed into his room, pulling peasant's clothing over his own royal clothes. He grabbed a pouch bulging with gold and secured it around his waist under his clothing. He took off his crown and threw it into a ratty old bag that he'd been filling with things for quite some time now.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he took off while everyone was distracted.

Once down in the village he ran against the crowds, heading towards the thief that was causing all the panic.

Short white hair, bronze skin, a scar and chocolate eyes met the young Pharaoh's gaze.

"What are you staring at you filthy peasant!?" The thief spat.

"I want to be a thief and a murderer like you!" Atem called back. It was easy for him to admit, seeing as the thief didn't yet know who he was.

"You must be out of your mind! I work alone!" was the sneered reply as his monster attacked a fleeing villager.

"I realize that! But I can be useful to you!" he smirked stupidly, beating himself up on the inside for not pulling off the look he wanted to.

"Useful? Useful…how?" he watched that stupid grin spread across the boy's face again. The overall idiocy of it was somewhat comforting to him, in an odd kind of way.

Atem was momentarily distracted by the royal guard rushing to aid the villagers. When he snapped back to attention his eyes were wide in fear, making him thankful that they were hidden by the hood of his cloak.

His heart pounded in his chest. He didn't want to go back to the palace, and he didn't want them to capture the thief.

"Take me with you and you'll find out!" his voice was full of the panic he felt. In this case, his fear was working for him.

Wondering what about the guards could possibly distress this strange boy, the thief decided it best to take action now and ask questions later.

He reached for the boy's wrist, and quickly pulled him away from the approaching guard. His monster seemed to vanish as he climbed onto his horse, pulling Atem up behind him.

Atem's heart pounded harder and harder in his chest. He was getting dizzy and afraid that he'd pass out. He figured as long as he could keep from falling off of the horse, he'd be fine.

The horse's gallop slowed to a trot when they were far enough away from the village. The thief dropped from his horse and looked up at the boy.

He walked the horse farther into the desert. Atem wasn't sure exactly where they were headed, and he wasn't stupid enough to ask.

After several hours and several miles farther, the Pharaoh was beginning to grow concerned for the other. He was beginning to slow down, obviously affected by the desert and lack of water.

Though horribly concerned for him, he didn't dare say a word. The man was well traveled and knew where he was going. He just had to have faith that they'd be alright.

At last, as the sun was setting on the horizon the thief let go of the horse's reins and stared lovingly at a patch of sand with nothing in sight. Atem was sure that he'd lost it, and was just about to open his mouth when the thief spoke.

"You may not see anything, but give it time. It's here, right," he pointed to a dead bush, "there."

This time Atem was certain that the thief had lost it, until there was a flash of golden light from the other's chest and suddenly an oasis met the Pharaoh's eyes.

"Wow…" he breathed.

"You like it?" the other turned around and grinned. "Home sweet home."

Hours later, the silence continued as they laid on the cool, soft sand, staring up at the stars. Even though it felt awkward, Atem couldn't help but feel a strange sense of safety and peace.

"The stars are so beautiful…They remind me of the lights that come from the village," Atem thought aloud, kicking himself inwardly for breaking the silence.

"Nah, the stars aren't village lights. They're too beautiful to be village lights." Was the thief's reply. His voice was much softer, relaxed even.

"Then what do they remind you of?" he silently cursed his curiosity.

"Souls. Each one of them is a soul that was sacrificed meaninglessly. Innocent people who cry for justice," he sounded almost mournful.

"Is that why you hate me? Because my father destroyed your village? Can't get revenge on the father, so get revenge on the son?" his eyes widened as he realized he said that aloud. "Shit!" he yelled, rolling away just before the thief's hand could catch him.

The thief's eyes were wide with rage. He lunged for the smaller boy with the intent to kill.

"What did you say!?" he screamed as he caught the Pharaoh. He pulled his hood away from the boy's face and glared directly into his eyes.

Atem was trembling.

"What kind of a trap is this!?" the thief spat.

"It's not a trap…" Atem whimpered.

"It must be! You came to me willingly!"

"I want to be a thief and a murderer. I want to destroy the kingdom I was born into."

"Why!?"

"Because I hate the palace and I want to be free and powerful like you!"

"You're lying…"

Atem reached carefully for his waist and untied the pouch filled with gold, letting it fall and land in the sand with a soft thud.

"I brought that for you…" he was almost in tears.

The thief narrowed his eyes at the Pharaoh before throwing him to the sand. He cautiously opened the pouch, causing the over-packed gold to burst out.

Atem withdrew his crown from his traveling bag and tossed it onto the sand next to the thief. Removing the Sennen Puzzle from around his neck, he tossed this also to the sand.

"I don't want them…" he said quietly as he turned and began walking into the desert, away from the oasis.

The thief's eyes widened as he reached for the puzzle. He couldn't bring himself to pick it up.

"Do you really mean what you said?" he called after the young Pharaoh, already knowing that he did in fact mean it.

The sad teen turned around with tears in his eyes, unable to speak.

"Close enough," the thief said, grabbing the puzzle and taking it over to him. He placed it around Atem's neck, where it rightfully belonged.

"I'm probably going to hate myself for going soft like this. You have to obey my every command, no matter what I command you. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded.

"My first command is that you wipe your tears and stop crying."

Atem wiped at his cheeks with his wrists.

"Good, now my second command is that you take your crown and go back to the palace. I'll return for you one day, but today isn't the day. You'll stay with me for tonight, and then I'll take you to the village. Do you understand?"

The Pharaoh nodded.

"Good."

That night, even though few words were spoken, neither slept. The next morning the thief was true to his word and returned the young king to the village.

---(five thousand years later)---

Yami sat up in bed, wide eyed, panting, and drenched in cold sweat. Images of a night in an ancient oasis still fresh in his mind.

He looked around the room wildly, and nearly had a heart attack at what his eyes met.

There, sitting in a chair a few feet from the bed, was none other than the man that wanted to kill him the most. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other and his arms crossed smugly across his chest, was none other than Bakura.

"What do you want!?" Yami panicked.

"I told you one day I'd return for you…" was the response.


End file.
